A bit of Brainstorming, a sprinkle of Spice and some Guru magic make up an exciting Finale

Clover rounds up the Little Big Cook Off semi-finals!

Clover has rounded up its Little Big Cook Off semi-finals with three of South Africa’s best family cooking teams proceeding to the flavoursome finale on 2 August 2014. Each semi-final episode brought something tasty to the table as the nine family cooking teams whipped up some magic in order to earn one of the three places in the finale.

Each semi-final episode was themed around one of Clover’s core values: Heritage, Quality and Innovation. In the first episode of the semi’s, Pavel Morris and her daughter Tiana, who made up The Brainstormers, pulled out their Way Better tips and tricks in order to win the Heritage-themed cook off against The Glorious Angels and the Dynamic Duo, and land them a spot on the finale. Clover’s Heritage goes way back with a rich history beginning in 1898, in the Natal Midlands, where a series of meetings began to discuss the establishment of a butter factory; a year later, the Natal Creamery Ltd. was founded by Joseph Baynes. In 1902, Natal Creamery Ltd. began to distribute milk to the Natal region and the company began to grow, and in 1994, to mark the commencement of a new era in South Africa, Natal Creamery changed its name to the brand that we all know and love today: Clover SA (Pty) Ltd.

“The Brainstormers embraced Heritage wholly in this episode, and they are an incredibly smart team,” celebrity chef Coco Reinarhz commented, “They wouldn’t let the fact that they didn’t win the first round with their Grilled Snoek get to them, and so they excelled in the Extreme Baking Challenge. Their unique cooking skills are deserving of a spot in the finale.”

The next semi-final round was all about innovation with the sweet-and-spicy Team Sugar and Spice winning the second place in the finale. The already-innovative Lee-Anne and Hannah Ibbetson gave it their all to earn the second spot in the semi-finals, by acing both challenges with their delicious Bacon and Cheese Croquettes with Marago served with Rosa Tomato Salad and delicious Venetian Cake with Passion Fruit and White Chocolate leaving their competition of The Palette Masters and Team Halaal sizzling in their wake.

“One of Clover’s core values is innovation, and this is expressed throughout the Little Big Cook Off show with each family making innovative recipes with Clover dairy products. It is truly a pleasure to see the great ways people use our products!” says Sherian King, Brand Group Manager for Dairy at Clover. “Team Sugar and Spice have been so great in the semi-finals. They are both so bubbly and kind, and their cooking skills are so fantastic to watch, Hannah sure knows her stuff! I am really looking forward to seeing what they make in the finale – because I know they will find a way to make it innovative.”

When you buy a Clover product, you are buying a quality product. Clover’s third core value is Quality. They take pride in their products, ensuring that each one that reaches their customer’s fridge is of the highest standards. “Our fresh milk alone goes through 55 quality tests before it is bottled and delivered to stores” King says, “Our factories practice meticulous attention to detail in the making of our dairy products, and we put love and care into the making of every product.” The Cooking Gurus pride themselves in their own meticulous attention to detail and quality as well, which is why they nabbed the last and final spot in the finale. Throughout the Little Big Cook Off, The Cooking Gurus have had one of the most exceptional standards of quality in all that they do – from preparing, to cooking, and even keeping their counters neat and tidy at all times – as Mornè Labuschagne of The Cooking Gurus says, “a messy mind makes messy work; if your counter is messy, you can’t concentrate, so keep it neat all the time.”

In this Quality-themed semi-final, Mornè and his shining star Caitlynn enchanted the judges with their preparations, cooking and final presentation and taste. “The Cooking Gurus sure know how important quality is, and they definitely produce it in all of their meals,” Zuraida Jardine comments, “They are well-deserving of a spot in the finale.”

The Brainstormers, Team Sugar and Spice and The Cooking Gurus now face each other for one final time in the much-anticipated finale, airing on 2 August on SABC3 at 20h00. Which of these teams have the Way Better way to beat the rest in the most difficult of the challenges that they have faced so far? What surprises do the judges have in store for them? Be sure to tune in on Saturday to find out who will walk away with the grand prize – a trip to Disney World, Florida, and a kitchen makeover – and the status as South Africa’s first top family cooking team.